Hoyer Discusses the Republican Government Shutdown on CNN's "New Day"

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed the need to end the Republican government shutdown by bringing a clean continuing resolution to the Floor for a vote with Kate Bouldan on CNN's "New Day" this morning. Below are excerpts and a link to the video.

"[T]his piecemeal approach is going to be dragged out over a long period of time and you've just done a litany of adverse consequences as a result of shutting this government down that apparently our Republican friends did not anticipate. Eric Cantor, as the Majority Leader, has the ability to put a clean CR - that simply means a bill which will fund all of government at a level that is the Republican level of funding - he has the opportunity to put that on the Floor, pass it, and it will go to the President and be the law, and we can open government tomorrow. So that we believe that this piecemeal, dragged out, item by item approach is to inefficient, so undermining of the operations of government, the growth of our economy, our national security. All of that litany you just set forth - 57,000 Head Start children shut out of Head Start; kids who can't get into cancer treatment; women, infants and children who can't get nutritional programs - that makes no sense and they're not dealing with that.”

“It appears we may be getting to a place where there are going to be enough rational Republicans to join with the Democrats and pass what is a continuing resolution which will fund government, get [the government] open, give us the opportunity over the next six weeks to see if we can come to an agreement for a final resolution for the balance of the year - a cooling off period, if you will - that makes sense for the American people, makes sense for the government, makes sense for the country. You know our Republican colleagues for so long said if it doesn't include a health care repeal or delay, we won't vote for it. Well, what are they doing today? And yesterday? They offered bills which had nothing to do with health care because finally they've come to grips with the fact that the responsible action to take is to pass legislation which will fund government. But they ought not to do it in a piecemeal fashion, they ought to get it done, and then we go to the negotiating table and see if we can reach a final agreement.”

“[I]f you had an appropriating bill for the short term spending gap, keep government open, keep government serving the American people and attached to that was an increase in the national debt limit so we didn't have a crisis this coming October 17th of the ability of the United States of America to pay its debt, then yes, absolutely, I think Democrats would vote for that in overwhelming numbers hopefully joined by Republicans. That would be a responsible way to go. It would give confidence to the marketplace and it would give confidence to those who deal with us overseas that America can, in fact run its business on a reasonable basis.”